Overview

• EU energy ministers approved the Council’s negotiating position by qualified majority, overcoming opposition from Hungary and Slovakia.
• The plan bars new Russian gas contracts from January 1, 2026, allows short-term deals signed before June 17, 2025 to run until June 17, 2026, and ends long-term contracts on January 1, 2028.
• The phased prohibition covers both pipeline gas and LNG and is described as permanent, pending European Parliament approval.
• Procedures add pre-approval and transparency requirements on origin and transit, with longer advance notice for Russian gas and documentation for mixed LNG cargoes, plus certain flexibilities for landlocked states.
• Parliament negotiators are pressing for a tougher regime, including earlier end-dates and stricter anti-circumvention measures, while analysts project a regional gas price increase of roughly 5–10% in the midterm.